


Illusions

by Pilux



Category: World of Warcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13853334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilux/pseuds/Pilux
Summary: Khadgar is late to a council meeting, and it's not long before the tower falls into chaos.





	Illusions

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another tumblr R.I.P prompt that got pretty long! I did several of these, there will be more! People really seem to like it when I'm ripping out their hearts.

The rest of the council stood silently, in patient irritation as they waited for Khadgar to show. He was late, very late, but despite their annoyance, they all hoped that it was from getting lost in research and not because…  
  
They quickly pushed such thoughts out of their heads.  
  
A portal opened nearby and an exhausted-looking Khadgar stumbled out of it. A collective sigh of relief was heard from the others before they began to scold him for his tardiness. Khadgar grinned sheepishly as he apologized.  
  
“Forgive me! Business in Karazhan. I hadn’t expected it to keep me for so long.”  
  
“Again? Khadgar, why do you keep going back there? Its wealth of knowledge is vast, yes. But there are plenty of champions in training that could easily -”  
  
“No, no. Best I do it whenever I can. No one knows that place better than I. No use in risking others.”  
  
Kalec and Modera exchanged glances and then shrugs before going into Council business. 

Khadgar restlessly wandered around the room, muttering comments to himself as the other members spoke. Every so often he’d engage but was largely ignoring the meeting.  Kalec’s ears perked up a little when Khadgar went by him - demonic. Khadgar was muttering things in demonic. Flecks of blue scales shimmered onto Kalec’s skin and he quickly turned towards the Archmage.  
  
“Khadgar, what are you DOING?”  He couldn’t shift fully since he wouldn’t fit, but he was willing to take the fight outside if need be. Modera and the others looked over in confusion. Kalec wasted no time in alerting them to what Khadgar had been muttering.  
  
Was it a joke? Had he finally gone mad? All they saw was an inhuman grin, and all they heard was a few utterings in demonic before everything….  
  
The chaos went by so quickly, and yet, felt like an eternity. Most of the tower was damaged or destroyed by the explosion, but some quick spell work saved most of the people inside. The council, at least, was safe. When the dust settled each member looked at the others to see who had been quick with their fingers.  Much to their surprise, none of them had cast the barrier that protected them all - including Khadgar from the blast. It didn’t take long to figure out who did once they realized it wasn’t one of them. And HIS presence was more of a surprise than Khadgar’s apparent betrayal.  
  
Lips pursed together to try and hide a smile and standing in between Khadgar and the Council, was Medivh. He wagged his finger back and forth at his “apprentice” disapprovingly.   
  
“Tsk. Sloppy work. You should have paid more attention to your surroundings.”  
  
Khadgar snorted.   
  
“It didn’t matter who was here as long as the council -”  
“I wasn’t talking to  _you.”_ Medivh glanced back at the four Archmages with a disappointed frown. “Please. I know my young trust is eccentric, but when was the last time you ever saw him act as such?” Modera flinched, scolding herself for not speaking up sooner when she had noticed. Kalec looked a bit uncomfortable as well, he should have detected the foul magic sooner.  Medivh brushed the front of his robes and turned his attention back to Khadgar.  
  
“Now. I’ve dealt with your aftermath a few times, and quite frankly. I am tired of you after this. I am insulted that you would take the appearance of an old friend and student, and sully the good image he tries so hard to maintain. Come, come now. Drop the disguise, you may not have killed anyone but you did manage to sneak in. Surely you feel the need to brag?”  
  
Kalec swore under his breath as a Dreadlord appeared in Khadgar’s place. At least it hadn’t had copied Jaina. The Demon opened his mouth to, indeed, brag about how easy it is to infiltrate Dalaran despite all the mages, but was cut off mid-sentence by the very, very angry former Guardian. It let out a howl as it was destroyed and had its soul sent back to the Twisting Nether. It would be back someday, but for now, it got to wallow in its failure.  The Aspect studied Medivh for a moment, pulling his thoughts together.  
  
“How long has Khadgar -”  
“Oh, just today. Don’t worry. I can assure you that every other day was indeed, my old apprentice.”  
  
“Where’s Khadgar?” Modera asked worriedly. Then she noticed it.  
Atiesh.  
Medivh had Atiesh.  
The Dreadlord’s staff had clearly been part of the illusion, but it was clear as day that what Medivh had was the real one. Voice shaking, she asked again as the others finally noticed as well, and looked on in horror, terrified of his answer.  
  
“Medivh….where is Khadgar.”

  
Earlier that day, Medivh had sensed trouble back in the halls of Karazhan. He didn’t want to return, figuring Khadgar would be alerted to the same trouble and investigate himself. But when the feeling didn’t abate, curiosity got the better of him and he made the trip back to his old home.   
  
Upon returning, he felt the presence of his old apprentice and contemplated leaving. But something was wrong, the aura was weak and there was the unmistakable signature of fel in the air. Not that Karazhan wasn’t already crackling with various energies, but this was different. It was fresh. The Magus quickly investigated the rooms and halls in a silent panic, his main focus was to find Khadgar.   
  
And his heart broke when he did.  
  
Slumped up against a bookcase with a demonic blade through his chest and pinning him in place, was Khadgar. Still alive, but barely. The fel corruption had ashened his complexion and was eating away at him. Atiesh was laying on the floor out of reach, and there was blood on the blade and his hands from his failed attempts to pull it out. Medivh quickly went to Khadgar’s side, who perked up at seeing his old Master.  
  
“Ah. I -told- you there was a demon in the Library.” Khadgar gently teased.  
Medivh couldn’t help but smile at the jab, remembering a moment many years ago when he ignored Khadgar’s insistence that he and Garona had dealt with such a beast.   
“So there was young trust. So there was. You still need to clean up the mess you made, however.” There was a brief moment of silence before either of them spoke again.  
  
“I’m sorry, Khadgar. I should have come sooner. The corruption has spread too much, there is nothing -”  
  
“I know. I know. I already tried everything I knew. It’s okay. To be honest. I could use the rest! There are new heroes on Azeroth now. Many don’t even know who I am aside from being that Archmage that asks for ridiculous amounts of items who also likes to party.”  
  
Another moment of silence.  
  
“I should….I will bring you to Dalaran while you still breathe. You should die at home, not here among cobwebs and dust.”  
  
“I am home.”  
  
“Dalaran is your home.”  
  
“Karazhan, is my home.” Khadgar insisted, giving his former master a stern, but soft expression. Holding in his emotions best he could, Medivh nodded, attempting to make Khadgar as comfortable as he possibly could.   
  
“Then welcome home, Young Trust. Welcome home.” He brushed some debris out of Khadgar’s hair with his hand.  
  
“You’ll need to come up with a new introduction,”  Moroes spoke up from the shadows. “If you’re not Khadgar from Dalaran.”  
Khadgar gave a pained laugh but nodded in agreement.  
  
“Khadgar, of Karazhan, the Young Trust, of Karazhan.”   
  
It was hard not to laugh.  
  
It was harder to hear his laughter stop.  
  
Modera waited patiently to hear Medivh’s answer.   
But his silence hurt the longer it lasted.  
Until eventually, there was no question.  
  
The realization hit the Council hard, with only four members it would be difficult to perform many of the tasks required of them. And of course, it was a huge loss to the effort against the legion and the loss of a friend.  They wanted to know how, when, and where was his body? There was little surprise when Medivh relayed Khadgar’s wish to die in Karazhan and not there, in Dalaran. After taking a brief moment to collect themselves, the Council quickly set out to alert the appropriate individuals. A proper, public mass service could be held after the war was over, but for now, anyone close to the Archmage who wish to pay their respects would be given the option.   
  
They had decided to bury him on the grounds of Karazhan as well, feeling that that was the most appropriate. There wasn’t much to say, not from the lack of words but because no one could bring themselves to speak. One by one, Khadgar’s closest friends left the fresh grave to return to their duties until Medivh was the last one.  Gripping Atiesh tightly, he knew he had to make a choice. The absence of Khadgar in this effort would be noticed, and a devastating strike to moral. He could easily leave again, but he was also the only one who could replace Khadgar in terms of skill, power, and knowledge.  He would give staying some thought, retiring inside to contemplate a formal return. Medivh entered the messy library lost in thought and was caught off guard by the specter he saw pulling a book off the shelf.  
  
It was Khadgar. Unmistakably Khadgar, Medivh had had his concerns that dying here would damn Khadgar’s spirit to wander these halls like so many others, but he quickly found peace when he further observed the ghost.  
  
There was no curse.   
  
Khadgar was young, unburdened by the visage of an old man that he had acquired upon freeing his master from the clutches of Sargeras.  The only white in his hair was the skunk stripe that his former apprentice already had had upon his arrival to Karazhan as a boy.  Death, ironically, had restored his youth and retained his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.  He seemed unaware of Medivh, reading a book eagerly on draconic. However, after a moment the eager boy turned and smiled up at his master.  
  
“Mag-…Medivh! This book is fascinating! Can you teach me how to say these words properly? If I ever meet a dragon, I wish to impress them! And maybe also…to be able to read any scrolls they may produce on magic….” He held the book out with eager anticipation. And with a warm smile, Medivh took the book.  
“Of course, my boy. Whatever you wish to know. I will teach you. We have all the time in the world now. My sickness is gone, I am well again, my apprentice. Any book, anytime, any day. Just bring it to me and I will teach you.” He placed a hand gently on Khadgar’s spectral cheek and felt his fingers chill with the ethereal static. The image seemed blissfully unaware of the emotion in Medivh’s voice as the man stroked his cheek with his thumb. “I’m proud of you, Khadgar. I am so, so very proud of you.”  Khadgar beamed, and a moment later, faded away.  Medivh grabbed at the air, not wanting him to leave.   
  
That settled it.   
He would stay.  
His apprentice needed him.  
  
Medivh didn’t always see Khadgar. But he noticed that the library was tidier, that sometimes his lab equipment had been used or there were scrying materials set out. And every so often, a book would find its way onto Medivh’s desk. Which he would always promptly read out loud as if giving a lecture to a curious, invisible student.   
  
And he would always find lecture notes and questions on his table after he finished. 


End file.
